


Things That   Have Been,  Things That Will Be

by amessoffand0ms



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mentions of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 10:10:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9119065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amessoffand0ms/pseuds/amessoffand0ms
Summary: The Doctor visits River and he reflects on her life with Madame Kovarian.**TW mentions of abuse**





	

The Doctor landed the Tardis in River's cell in Stormcage, did a couple of environment checks, and made his way outside. It was soon after their wedding, and although he'd done the adventure with several different versions of her a few weeks ago, he missed her.

River was sat on her bed, hugging her knees. She was facing away from him, and she was crying.

"River, what's wrong?" He asked in concern.

At the sound of his voice, River tensed. "Sweetie, go. You don't want to see me like this."

"Hey, you're my wife." The Doctor responded, sitting down next to her. "You can tell me anything, my love."

She turned to face him. "I haven't been able to sleep, I've been plagued with terrors. Memories of my childhood, what the Silence did…" She trailed off and shut her eyes, a couple of tears leaked from them.

"Oh River. I hate it too, I'm so sorry."

"My love, you could not have prevented it. Time can't be rewritten, I know that now." She smiled weakly.

He nodded.

"Think of it this way-if it wasn't for Kovarian, we wouldn't be married. And there is no one, absolutely no one in the entire universe that I would rather be with." River said, taking his hand.

"That's true." Her husband nodded. "River, you look exhausted. Would you like to nap in the Tardis for a while?"

"I was about to ask that, actually. We'd better make it snappy." His wife replied as alarm bells began to ring."

The pair quickly made their way into the Tardis, and the Doctor sent them off into the vortex.

"Right, I'm off to bed." River announced with a yawn.

"Okay." Her husband gave her a kiss. "I'll see you later."

River exited the central console room.

The Doctor stayed there for a while, tinkering.

There was a cough, and he turned to see River.

"Can I have cuddles?" She asked. "I sound really soppy, but..."

"Hey." He made his way towards her and took her hands in his. "Of course you can."

The pair made their way into their room, and River lay down. Her husband joined her, and she snuggled into him.

"Thank you." Were her final words to him before her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

The Doctor held her close, and mulled over the day's events. The River that he knew in the future rarely talked about the effect that the Silence had on her-she'd blocked it out.

He didn't know very much about her upbringing, but did know that Kovarian had emotionally and physically abused her. River was her plaything- praised whenever she excelled in fighting or shooting sessions, and insulted and mocked her whenever she showed the slightest bit of compassion, not to mention the fact that she'd been separated at birth from her parents and her happy memories were patchy at best. The time she was kidnapped before their wedding the Doctor knew to be the worst-he'd noticed bruises on her back and shoulders. Yet, she barely mentioned any of it.

It sickened him to the stomach- the thought of someone so beautiful and brave as his wife being hurt. The Doctor held his wife a little closer-he knew that she would be okay, he knew that eventually the scars would fade, but for now he wanted her to know that he'd never let her get hurt that way again.

A while later, River stirred.

She gazed up at her husband, and was surprised to see him staring blankly into space.

"Doctor?" She asked.

He blinked, and looked down at her. "Sorry, I was just lost in my own thoughts."

"About?" River prompted, propping herself up her elbow, resting her chin in her hand. With the other, she brushed a stray piece of hair from his face.

"All what happened to you... I can't believe that you went through it. You're so brave."

She kissed him. "Oh my love, it may still hurt now but Kovarian is dead, she can't hurt me now. I can move on, forget."

The Doctor nodded. "That's right."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger-and I know that our marriage isn't conventional, but I hope that we'll have happy life together."

He smiled, remembering all the adventures that they'd had so far. "We will, sweetheart. We will."


End file.
